Michael Rudd

Spectrum were by far Australia's best known prog band of the 70s. The funny thing is that, just like the Madder Lake, Spectrum weren't all that prog, at least not by hardcore British prog standards of the day…

This is a united & mighty pair of brand new studio albums from drummer-bandleader Whit Dickey which were created together with two distinct yet interrelated Quartets. The two works represent the Yin and the Yang respectively, the inseparable and complementary opposites, following an ancient and enduring understanding of the world. Dickey chose Tao Quartets as the name for these groups / this specific work as the Tao wholly incorporates an understanding of this eternal dynamic, and it is here to be heard.

An Australian release, this is a 2CD set celebrating the very best male singers and songwriters - artists include Bernard Fanning, Josh Pyke, Paul Kelly, Xavier Rudd, Dan Sultan, Ash Grunwald, José González, Ryan Adams, Rufus Wainwright and many more.

A master of the kora (21-string West African harp), Toumani Diabaté has brought the traditional music of his native Mali to the attention of an international audience with a series of well-received solo albums and some unlikely, but acclaimed, collaborations. Although he came from a family of musicians, Diabaté (born August 10, 1965) taught himself to play the kora at an early age, as his father, who also played the instrument, was often away touring. He developed a style of playing that, while being strongly rooted in the Malian tradition, is also open to a wide range of other influences, such as jazz and flamenco. He has subsequently sought out other musicians from around the world who are willing to experiment with him, even performing a concert in Amsterdam with a classical harpist.

Carla Bley's tentet performs some of her most colorful themes on this often-humorous and generally stimulating set. "Jesus Maria and Other Spanish Strains" and the three-part "Musique Mecanique" are particularly memorable. This is the perfect setting for Bley's music, with such musicians as trumpeter Michael Mantler, Gary Windo on tenor and bass clarinet, trombonist Roswell Rudd and Bob Stewart on tuba making their presence felt.

The Jazz Composer's Orchestra - The Jazz Composer's Orchestra (1968) {ECM JCOA 1001-02 rel 1994}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 503 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 173 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 14 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1968, 1994 ECM / Watt | JCOA 1001/2 / 841 124-2
Jazz / Experimental Big Band / Avant-Garde Jazz

German-born composer/trumpeter Michael Mantler and his then-wife Carla Bley were instrumental in developing within jazz the idea of self-sufficiency and independence from established record companies. Their creation of the Jazz Composer's Orchestra, with recordings released on their own label, was the culmination of this endeavor, and the first recording was one of the masterpieces of creative music in the '60s. Mantler had come from the European avant-classical tradition and sought to provide an orchestral framework supporting some of the most advanced musicians in avant-garde jazz – and he succeeded magnificently.

Carla Bley - European Tour 1977 (2007) {ECM Records WATT/8}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 230 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 102 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 11 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1977, 2007 ECM Records / Watt Works | WATT/8 / 831 830-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Experimental Big Band

One of Carla Bley's most rewarding recordings, this set features her tentet playing such numbers as "Wrong Key Donkey," "Drinking Music" and the 19-minute "Spangled Banner Minor and Other Patriotic Songs." Bley's wry humor is often felt and she utilizes such colorful players as trumpeter Michael Mantler, Gary Windo on tenor, trombonist Roswell Rudd and Bob Stewart on tuba in this unusual, somewhat innovative and always fun music.

Mark Dresser makes music in a vast variety of settings and contexts, but the dauntingly prolific bassist always seeks to create space for the unpredictable play between form and freedom. On his new album Sedimental You, slated for release in early November, 2016, he’s assembled an astonishingly creative cast that embraces the intuitive and emotionally charged nature of his improvisational imperative. Riveting, playful and often revelatory, his compositions emerge out of a shifting matrix of specific musical personalities and the often dismaying swirl of current events.

This is the collection from one of the world's greatest rock bands. It's here, for the first time 17 CDs bursting at the seams, in this one box of rock. From 'High Voltage' through to 'Stiff Upper Lip' (2000) with all the classic moments. This is truly a must for any fan!